‘To have you here is incredible’: Sir Kevin Sinfield gets surprise visit from Royals during 7 in 7
Sinfield was emotional as he addressed the Prince and Princess of Wales
Sir Kevin Sinfield has completed day three of his gruelling 7 in 7 challenge - and he had some very special visitors cheering him on at the finish line.
The Prince and Princess of Wales surprised the Leeds Rhinos legend at Wakefield Trinity’s Stadium, where he completed his third ultramarathon in as many days.
Today’s stage of the challenge saw him run from Bishopthorpe Palace in York, passing through east Leeds before completing the Extra Mile, joined by people with MND, into Castleford Tigers Training Ground.
The final push took him through Wakefield, where he completed the third ultramarathon at Trinity’s DIY Kitchens stadium.
Prince William and Princess Katherine met with families affected by motor neurone disease (MND) in the stadium, before getting into position to cheer on Sinfield at the finish line.
He was emotional as he addressed the supporters cheering him on - and the crowd fell silent as he addressed the Royals.
“The team is everything,” Sinfield said. “I can’t do what I do without all of them.
“Prince William, Prince Katherine - you’ve been such big supporters of the work we’ve tried to do. You’ve been such big supporters of Rob, Lindsey and the full Burrow family.
“To have you here today is incredible and brings real credibility and awareness to the MND community. With that credibility, we can do even more.”
The Prince and Princess of Wales visited Leeds Rhinos’ stadium earlier in the day, where they praised the generation of players that looked up to Rob Burrow as one fundraised in his memory.
Sinfield’s seventh and final annual challenge will see him visit all 12 English Super League grounds before finishing at Old Trafford ahead of the Grand Final.
He is taking on the challenge to raise awareness and funds to support people living with MND, running in memory of his Rhinos teammate and close friend Rob Burrow, who died from MND in June 2024.
So far, Sinfield has raised more than £600,000 through the challenge, which will be donated to MND charities and causes including the MND Association, My Name'5 Doddie Foundation and Leeds Hospitals Charity.
Sally Hughes, director of services and partnerships at the MND Association, said: “Every day in the UK six people are told they have Motor Neurone Disease and life changes in an instant.
“Behind every single diagnosis is a person and a family in real need of our support.
“Thanks to Sir Kevin Sinfield and his extraordinary team, we’re now able to help more people with MND make sense of their diagnosis, giving them information and support when it really matters.
“The money raised has helped us to relieve some of the financial burden MND places on families through our support funds and allowed us to work more closely with children and young people whose families are affected by MND.
“It’s impossible to overestimate the difference this work has made to our community. Thank you, Sir Kevin, for your determination and incredible support.”
Since the first annual challenge in 2020, Sinfield and his team have raised more than £11m for the MND community.
This includes money to fund the Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease, which opened in Seacroft in 2025.
Sinfield will return to Leeds on Wednesday for one of the most significant moments of the seven-day challenge - with a checkpoint at AMT Headingley Stadium, the home of Leeds Rhinos.
From Headingley, the route continues through Pudsey and on towards Bradford before finishing at Huddersfield's Accu Stadium at around 4.02pm.